ONE in four workers fear taking a full lunch hour will make them look bad in front of colleagues and bosses, a survey has revealed.

Almost two-thirds of employees do not leave the office for lunch, and nearly half eat at their desk, raising health concerns about stress in the workplace.

A poll of 2,064 British workers found 45 to 54-year-olds take the shortest lunch breaks, with a fifth taking less than 15 minutes.

Bolting food down, coupled with stress, can have a knock-on effect for health, with almost four million UK workers suffering heartburn.

Almost one in three British women complain of being bloated after rushing their lunch.

The survey, commissioned by the indigestion remedy makers Rennie, found 16-24-year-olds were most likely to enjoy a longer lunch break, with more than half taking 30-60 minutes.

Those aged 25-34 said they felt the greatest pressure and were least comfortable taking a full hour.

Healthcare workers, who recognise the stress-busting benefit of getting away from the job, took the shortest breaks out of all the professions, with one in five having less than 15 minutes to eat.

Pressure

In the media, almost one in three workers felt pressure from colleagues to impress bosses and carry on through lunch. Almost three-quarters of them ate at their desk.

Bankers and personal services professions were more likely to take the full break, and also leave the office.

Almost half of all teachers took 30-60 minutes, but those enjoying the longest breaks were people in IT and telecommunications who were most likely to have longer than an hour.

The research by Tickbox.net, showed Northern workers had shortest breaks, with Yorkshire, the North East and the North West taking the top three positions out of the 11 regions.

Yorkshire

In Yorkshire, 55 per cent of respondents said they ate at their desk, and it had the highest proportion of workers who claimed they took a midday break of less than 15 minutes.

Expert gastroenterologist Dr Robert Heading said: "In general, eating quickly or while on the go, combined with today's work patterns and lifestyles, can affect our digestion and compromise overall well-being.

"Few of us nowadays work 9-5 with an hour off for lunch.

"However, grabbing a sandwich or chocolate bar and fizzy drink and consuming both in a hurry while trying to work at the same time risks provoking heartburn and indigestion an hour or so later."